Brigadeiro's Guide to Melbourne (Shopping/Fashion & Food)

This is not a 'guide' per se, as I am by no means an expert on either, but I am often asked where my favourite places to shop and eat in Melbourne are, so instead of repeatedly emailing the same 'favourites list', I thought I would create a blog post I could refer to and update from time to time (most headings will lead you to a website when clicked on):

AUSTRALIAN FASHION DESIGNER STORES

Willow

Melbourne GPO: 350 Bourke St. (Ground Flr), MELBOURNE CBD,

OR 582 Malvern Rd., HAWKSBURN

www.willowltd.com

Akira

Melbourne GPO: 350 Bourke St. (First Flr), MELBOURNE CBD



www.akira.com.au

Scanlan & Theodore

1061 High Street, ARMADALE

Little Collins St., MELBOURNE CBD

566 Chapel St., SOUTH YARRA


www.scanlantheodore.com.au

Kirrily Johnston

1033 High St., ARMADALE



www.kirrilyjohnston.com.au

Zambesi (New Zealand)

167 Flinders lane, MELBOURNE CBD

This store also stocks Martin Margiela and other brilliant NZ and International designer labels.



www.zambesi.co.nz

Alpha60

Melbourne GPO: 350 Bourke St. (Ground Flr), MELBOURNE CBD

201 Flinders Ln., MELBOURNE CBD

230 Chapel St., PRAHRAN

179 Brunswick St., FITZROY


www.fashionising.com

Belinda

(Australian designer labels inc.: Lover, Willow, Michelle Jank, Yeojin Bae)

584 Malvern Rd, HAWKSBURN

Melbourne GPO: 350 Bourke St., (1st Flr), MELBOURNE CBD

Empire Rose

586 Malvern Rd., HAWSKBURN

Although I am not sure this store is still there?


INTERNATIONAL FASHION DESIGNER STORES

Cose Ipanema

(labels inc: Dries Van Noten, Comme des Garcons)

113 Collins St., MELBOURNE CBD

Belinda

(International & Australian designer labels inc.: Dries Van Noten, Lanvin, Stella McCartney, Ann Demeulemeester, Lover, Willow, Michelle Jank, etc.)

584 Malvern Road, HAWKSBURN

Melbourne GPO: 350 Bourke St., (1st Flr), MELBOURNE CBD

Marais

314 Little Collins St. (1st Flr, Royal Arcade)

(labels inc: Givenchy, YSL, Sophie Wauchob, Anne Valerie Hash, Preen, Alexander McQueen - all my favourites)

Cactus Jam International

14 Albert Coates Ln, MELBOURNE CBD

(labels inc: Matthew Williamson, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Chloe, Stella McCartney, Vanessa Bruno)

Christine

181 Flinders Ln, MELBOURNE CBD

(accessories labels: Lanvin, Tom Binns, Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs)

Assin

138 Little Collins St (basement), MELBOURNE CBD

126 Gertrude St., FITZROY

(labels inc. Ann Demeulemeester, Comme des Garcons, Rick Owens)


Also:

For Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Bvlgari, Miss Louise (accessories labels inc. Chloe, Balenciaga, Giuseppe Zanotti) - you can find them all on Collins St.

Melbourne GPO: I love this building, as it is a refurbished beautiful 150 year old building, that used to be Melbourne's main Post Office. Other stores of interest are: Acne, Fat, Fleur Wood, Gorman, Camper (shoes), Mandarina Duck, Lisa Ho (her last collection SS'10 was so beautiful, hopefully next collection is just as good), Zimmermann and Sass & Bide.

Australia's main department stores: David Jones and Myers can both be found on Bourke St., and both stock Australian & International designers.

Chapel Street, South Yarra/Prahran: is a long street that has many fashion stores, and eateries/cafes, this is a favourite haunt for many, as well as Greville St (off Chapel St) for little boutiques.

Bridge Rd, Richmond: this is the strip for those who like to go to 'outlet stores', I must admit I have not been here since the 1990's.


FAVOURITE PLACES TO...



MoVida: 1 Hosier Ln, MELBOURNE CBD
My favourite place in Melbourne, as you can probably tell from the many times I have been there, great modern tapas place for dinner, almost impossible to book for a table, but you can eat at the tapas bar.

Cumulus Inc: 45 Flinders Ln, MELBOURNE CBD
Fabulous for breakfast (I love their little baked goods), lunch or dinner

Yu-U: 137 Flinders Ln, MELBOURNE CBD
Great Japanese place for set-lunches or dinner

Don Don's: 321 Swanston St, MELBOURNE CBD
Tiny Japanese place for students, with cheap & quick (I live for their sushi dons!)

St Ali (for coffee/breakfast): 12-14 Yarra Place, STH MELBOURNE

Europa Cake Shop: 81 Acland St., ST KILDA
There are many 'cafes' with European desserts on this street, but this is my favourite for their 'almond croissants' and 'chocolate & plum liquor tarts'.

Shark Fin House: 131 Little Bourke St., MELBOURNE CBD
My favourite place for Yum Cha.


Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any recommendations of your own!

xx
CC

Day 2: Melbourne Shopping Report

Nothing like celebrating with a nice Champagne (Billecarte) breakfast...

French Toast: homemade fig, apricot, hazelnut brioche with praline cream and clover honey

Inside Madam Sou Sou: so French, so bohemian...

Baked eggs Basque style, tomato sauce with chick peas, chorizo, crème fraiche and fresh mint

La Vasette: my favourite store on Brunswick St since I first saw it in the late 90's, beautifully displayed colour-coordinated flowers, and the outside is so cute!

After our bellies were full, it was off for some shopping...

Purchases: Nil for myself. Although I did find my lovely cousin two amazing navy blue dresses (one a gorgeous Prada sleeveless dress, the other a beautiful 3.1 Phillip Lim dress...I was so sad not to be able to buy either for myself due to my expanding waistline, but happy my cousin took them home, and looked so gorgeous in both dresses...). These were purchased at Clover, thanks to i.d.'s recommendation!!!

Today's Outfit: Akira Isogawa silk/cotton embroidered maxi dress from Resort 09, Chloe silk top (worn unbuttoned and upside down, funnily I can see the tag in the photo above), Chloe bracelet lambskin bag & Havaianas slim thongs in Champagne (too hot & bothered to wear anything else).

Breathtaking moments: Finding the 3.1 Phillip Lim dress I have wanted for years, only to find that although last time I tried this size it was too big, this time it was too small, so very bittersweet...It is a shame that the store version is not as long as the runway version, I fell hard for the red flower 'bib' on the dress the first time I saw it (almost 2 years ago).

style.com

Shops covered:
Brunswick St: Clover (No. 404, I believe) - my first time to this store, and I must come back to it next time!
City: Cactus Jam International at QV - Albert Coates Ln, Christensen Copenhagen (ditto), Belinda at GPO - I did not have much time for shopping in the afternoon, nor the stamina, due to the heat.

Food: Champagne breakfast at Madam Sou Sou (231 Brunswick St, Fitzroy) - another brilliant recommendation by the gorgeous and oh SO talented i.d. of justfashionartdesign - Thank you so much Imma! LOVED it!

PS. Thank you all for your well-wishes for hubby's exam! He passed!!! We only found out a few days ago, but he was the only person in the country to pass both the written AND oral exam this year! Not only am I so proud of him, but so happy I finally get him 'back', it's been a long year of studying (and doing less fun stuff, and me having to watch TV with headphones on, haha). WOO HOO!

Day 1: Melbourne Shopping Report

Cool lightbox on Hosier Ln (outside Movida)

Purchases: Nil (does a French manicure & pedicure count?). Was not feeling my best (thought I was coming down with a cold, turned out to be hayfever), and the weather was so hot...I also had limited time today as I was playing chauffeur to hubby, who sat an all-day exam, with a break in between.

Today's Outfit: Akira blue silk/wool dress (oh so comfortable) with Chloe silk blouse worn open and upside down, Havaianas slim thongs in Champagne and Chloe lambskin bracelet bag. I had more a chic outfit planned, but decided to dress for comfort due to the hot weather, and saved it for the evening. When it cooled a little in the evening, I changed into my Rachel Roy draped dress & Christian Dior Extreme Python sandals, I plan to repeat this outfit this weekend for a Moroccan dinner, so will try to take a pic this time...

Breathtaking moments: At the Belinda store on Malvern Road - spotted the Dries Van Noten silver sequinned skirt, a few sizes too big, so did not even try it, but it was a beauty to behold. The stock was very limited, so that was pretty much it. Also quite loved a drapey bronze/gold necklace at Kirrily Johnston. At $280 (and having exceeded my budget for this month, and probably the next), I sadly had to leave it in the store...am still thinking about it though.

Shops covered:

High Street, Armadale: Falke (new store - first one in Australia! Baulked at the merino wool tights at AUS$89, must buy them online for almost half that price), Kirrily Johnston, Scanlan & Theodore. Very sad to find that one of my favourite stores, The Frock Exchange, was no longer in existence.

Malvern Road, Hawksburn: Belinda, Empire Rose, Little Joe by Gail Elliot, Trelise Cooper, Willow.

Food: Found a trendy cafe around the corner from where we were staying (on Yarra St, off Toorak Rd), and had a quick lunch before hubby had to return to his afternoon exam session. My lunch: grilled asparagus with truffle oil, poached egg, mascarpone & smoked salmon. Dinner was at our favourite restaurant: Movida

Left: San Jacobo de Cordoniz- Hunter Valley Quail, partially boned, crumbed and filled with Jamon and Mahon cheese

Right: Viera - Roasted Scallop with Jamon and Potato Foam (this and the Wagyu steak tartare, which we did not order this time, are our favourite dishes here, absolutely delicious!)

Cecina: Air cured Wagyu beef thinly sliced with a truffle foam and poached egg (so amazing! luuuurve truffle anything...)

Carillera de Buey: Slowly braised beef cheek in Pedro Ximenez on cauliflower puree

Costilla con sobrasada: roast lamb cutlet encased in a catalan pork and paprika pate (I was tossing between having this or churros with hot chocolate for 'dessert', but was so curious to try this, so lamb it was...)

To buy or not to buy?

I am in love with my recent (and first) Rick Owens purchase, its clean lines, clever draping & silhouette, in addition to his brilliant use of sheer silk...

www.style.com

It has whetted my appetite for more...

I am now obsessing over this coat, particularly its sheer sleeves, sheer perfection!

www.style.com

To buy or not to buy? That is the question...

I couldn't take a decent picture of the dress (black is so hard to photograph!), especially the sheer draped back of it, I will try again with better lighting sometime soon. I probably shouldn't have popped my hands in my pockets, I look so wide! But I had to show the pockets off, they're so deep, and my hands keep automatically going in them!

Rick Owens draped silk dress (pockets!!!)

Dries Van Noten beaded & sequinned sandals

Love:

*The bubble hem

*The draped back

*The sheer panel at the back, which also drapes

*The deep pockets

*I tried it on with every jacket/cardi/coat I own, and it goes beautifully with practically all of them! I think I can wear these for half a year in all different combinations...

Tonight I am dressing it down with a Margiela cardigan (so soft!), as I head out to dinner with the girls:

Rick Owens silk draped dress

Martin Margiela military merino wool knit cardigan

Dries Van Noten buckle sandals

Thank you very much Nini!

As the lucky winner of Nini's 'Finding The Inspiration For The World of Fashion' Competition, Nini most generously offered a $50 gift card of my choice as my prize. Living across the globe from Nini meant that an online store would be the easiest option (plus I shop mostly online), and I chose Standard Deviation NY. This will be my first purchase from this store, even though I have had it saved in my 'favourites' for quite some time. They stock so many labels I love, including: Humanoid, Heimstone, Preen, Future Classics, Vena Cava...and introduced me to Marlova.

Marlova has created a line of luxe cashmere sweaters and dresses that drape the body without being too clingy, yet still shows off one's curves. Nothing beats the feel of cashmere on your skin...I chose this Violet long ribbed tank dress that has a racer back and ruching at back waist for subtle volume. I put the order in on the weekend, and can't wait to receive it, thank you so much, Nini!

Nini's amazing style & enviable wardrobe are incredible, if you haven't visited her blog already, you certainly must!

Cashmere tank dress by Marlova

100th Post - Brigadeiro's Shopping Tips

A month or so ago, a lovely reader asked me for some shopping tips, a long email ensued. I recently came across this article by Mary Woodward for The Guardian on her shopping rules, much more articulate than what I had written to Sharon, and which I wholeheartedly agree with, except for Rule #6 (I like Rule #8, will try to learn that one). Here's a distilled version of her 'rules':

1: Don't take anyone with you. Especially not men and friends. They will have no stamina and won't concentrate properly.
B: Unless your friend is me, haha!

2: You do not have to buy anything. Sometimes the most worthwhile thing about fashion shopping is what it reveals to you about what you have at home. You can seriously underestimate the potential of your existing wardrobe. Going round the right shops will wake you up to this.
B: I concur! One shopping trip to Sydney, I came back empty handed, hubby was flabbergasted, but I actually felt good about it, window shopping is great!

3: There are two main types of clothes-buying. One, the everyday, picked-up-in-your-lunch-hour kind, tends to be local and should always be cheap. Never spend more than a tenner on this kind of shopping. As Karl Lagerfeld says, "go either very cheap or very expensive. It's the middle ground that is fashion nowhere."
B: I totally agree, Karl!

4: Know your city. Between shops, go to a park cafe for tea and a scone and watch the ducks. They will restore your sense of what really is beautiful. On the other hand, shopping in unfamiliar environs with severe restraints does not necessarily mean failure.
B: Hooray!

5: Always try things on but be prepared to break your own rules about what is right for you.
B: Totally!

6: Never buy anything to wear by post.

B: Sorry, had to veto this 'rule', as 90% of what I buy to wear is by post.

7: Your most enduring and lastingly flattering things may not come from promising sources.

8: Don't let anyone make you think that shopping is morally undesirable. It's fashion, for heaven's sake, not landmines or ebola. If you have earned your money and are not letting dependent children or animals go cold and hungry then spend it on clothes if you choose to. You are not a less worthy woman for buying good clothes occasionally.
B: Must remember this one...

9: Talk to shop staff. These people aren't mute slaves who know only about hangers.
B: Although I don't usually believe them when they say something looks good on me..

10: Finally, no copouts or compromises. If you do not, there and then in front of that mirror, love whatever it is as much as you loved your favourite things when you were little, then put it back on the hanger, thank the staff and leave. Remind yourself, "Style is saying no" (Diana Vreeland, I think). Short of a third world war, those shops will be there next time with even more beautiful things. It's life, not life and death. If it's not perfect for you at that moment, simply do without.

B: Love that: "Style is saying NO"!

In addition to the above, here are some of my shopping 'tips' (Sharon, I've added a few more from when I wrote to you). I'm not professing them to be groundbreaking, or 'pearls of wisdom', just a few things I have learned or some I am trying to learn:

1. Buy winter stuff in summer and vice-versa (as they are usually on sale then). I also look at online stores sales in the Northern Hemisphere for the same reason.

2. I avoid buying things full-priced, I would rather buy something very good very reduced, than something ordinary (I hope that makes sense). Also, I prefer saving up for one good piece than buy several less expensive pieces that don't mean as much to me. Because I have a shopping budget I have to adhere to, I have to think very carefully before making a purchase.

3. Conversely, do not buy clothes just because they are on sale. With all of the unused sale items you buy, you could buy an amazing piece that you wear all of the time. I usually ask myself: would I still want to buy this if it was not reduced?

More often than not, if I like something at full price, I try to patiently wait for it to be (hopefully) reduced, has worked both online, and in stores. Of course, there are exceptions, for those pieces you really love and can afford, and simply cannot risk selling out, they may not be there when you return.

4. When you find something that really flatters you (at a good price, preferably), buy it in a few colours (eg. the SABA knits I recently bought), that way you do not wear out that one favourite piece too quickly, and you never know when you will find something that flattering again.

5. Do not be afraid to try on one (or more) sizes bigger (or smaller) than your usual size when your size is unavailable or does not suit you. When I was a size AUS 8 (US 4) I bought some items in a size XL or 14 and it didn't matter (I don't always do this, due to vanity sizing, but especially in sales time, I do...)

6. Think outside your 'comfort zone'. Go for some styles, colours, textures, cuts and patterns that you would not normally wear – try them on, you may be surprised (or at least may let you hone in on what definitely does not suit you). A piece of clothing on the rack/hanger can look completely different once on the body.

7. Conversely, do not be a slave to fashion trends, buy what suits you. For me, I do not care how 'in' or 'out' something is, it is whether I like it or not before I saw it in a magazine or on a celebrity.

8. Leads to: Do not be afraid of colour! Black and 'neutrals' are great, but a few colourful pieces in your wardrobe/outfit will breathe some fresh air into your look (if you're so inclined).

I often hear people say: "I wish I could 'pull-off' colour', but pretty much everyone can 'pull-off' almost every colour! Don't rule out a colour because it hasn't suited you, there are several shades to a colour (even white & black), and chances are, if you persist, you'll find the right shade for you. For example, I never thought I would be able to wear yellow, being Asian & having yellow-toned skin, but I found it is all about finding the right yellow.

9. Accessories are great for adding colour to an outfit, or for changing a look entirely. I rely on my shoes/bags/scarves/jewellery for a pop of colour most of the time, although, admittedly in the last few years I have been injecting colourful clothes as well...But a brightly coloured shoe/bag can add so much to an outfit!

10. Belts! Very important for accentuating an 'hourglass' shape (not too wide though), I like changing over belts on a jacket/coat to 'personalize' an outfit.

11. Good basics are worth investing on. I don't mind spending more on coats (they're my favourite piece of clothing), as I find them good 'investments' that can instantly make an outfit, especially trench coats.

12. When adding a new piece/item to your wardrobe, try to think of at least 3 other items already in your wardrobe that you can wear it with. This is a recent one for me, but applies to not only clothes, but accessories (shoes/belt/scarf/etc.).

13. Think Quality vs Quantity.

14. Read the labels. Quality is the most important thing for me along with design. I prefer natural fibres (silk, cashmere, merino wool, cotton, even viscose, which is made of cellulose)

15. Browse other sections (I am only starting do so)...menswear & children wear, especially for accessories (eg. I found a vintage YSL knit tie in a Salvation Army store, which I love & use as a belt)

16. No matter how much you love the style, color, etc., if it does not flatter you, do not buy it.

17. When shopping, dress comfortably, with an easy hairstyle. That way you don't have to worry about "messing up" your hair when you try on different pieces.

18. When buying in a store or online, be aware of their return/exchange policy, and keep receipts & tags on until you wear the item out, if possible. Just in case.

19. When shopping for an occasion, bring everything you know you'll be wearing with you. If you're searching for shoes to go with your dress for an event, bring the dress with you (or vice versa). I even do this if shopping for an undergarment, you want to make sure it looks right with whatever you're wearing over it.

20. When shopping online at a new site, look at the accessories/shoes first, you can usually tell the quality from this section.

21. Subscribe to the newsletters of you favorite online shops - not only do you sometimes get free shipping or discount codes, you often receive updates on new stock arrivals.

Ok, I've surely bored you for long enough, I could probably keep going...

But I'll hand it over to you, any shopping tips you would like to add?